Skip the bland store-bought stuff and make your own red pepper hummus, in just five minutes, using simple ingredients. It’s cheaper, tastes so much better and is perfect for entertaining or meal prep.

Once you realise how easy it is to make dips at home, I guarantee you won’t go back to store-bought. Not only do they taste substantially better – you can control exactly what goes into them, they’re much cheaper than buying those little pots AND you’ll get the satisfaction of making them yourself.

Roasted red pepper hummus is a staple at the grocery store, but it seriously is so simple to make at home. It’s as simple as throwing all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and hitting go. It’s a little sweet, savoury and smoky, and wonderful paired with lovely fresh bread, pita chips, crudites or as the base for salads, roasted potatoes, grilled chicken, meatballs or kofta.

Ingredients

• Chickpeas. Use canned or jarred for ease. Jarred chickpeas tend to be better quality, but you can make great hummus with canned chickpeas. I like to boil them first with a little baking soda for the best, smoothest result. This will soften them and help their skins break down, meaning you’ll have a smoother hummus. But, that’s not an essential step.
• Roasted red peppers. For ease, I’m using jarred roasted red peppers. You could roast them yourself if you like (and this is a great way to use up any leftovers you might have from a roasted veggie salad).
• Tahini. I prefer using tahini produced in Israel or Lebanon, rather than a generic grocery store own-brand. The difference in quality, taste and texture really comes through so I recommend seeking out better quality tahini if you can. My favourites are Al Yaman, Belazu or Al Nakhil (you can pick them up from Amazon).
• Ground cumin. This brings a lovely subtle warmth to the hummus, but you can skip it if you don’t have any.

You’ll also need a food processor, chopper or blender for this recipe.

How to make it

Add all your ingredients to the bowl of a food processor (or blender or food chopper). Blitz well to combine into a smooth, luscious hummus, stopping to scrape down the sides a couple of times to ensure even mixing. This will take a few minutes.

PRO TIP: If you’re using canned chickpeas, for ULTRA smooth hummus I recommend boiling them with a pinch of baking soda until they’ve softened considerably (about 10 – 15 minutes). Then, use a slotted spoon to transfer them straight to the bowl of your food processor

Spoon the hummus onto a lipped plate or bowl, then scatter over chopped roasted red pepper, flat-leaf parsley and something crunchy – I like everything bagel seasoning or dukkah. Serve with pita chips, crackers, soft focaccia, soft flatbreads or crudites.

Got a question?

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If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.

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